My buddy just got a ninja 3 (got over waiting for the CBR 500) and wants to get a 600 later but he's a little too short..

I believe he's around 5'5" and his 300 is still a tad tall for him and he asked me what did I know a out lowering or any other ways to shorten it up for him... I believe he's just below tippy toes and shy of flat foot.

Me beig just shy of 6' I have no clue but have read about lowering the bike but heard it make the ride rougher and does something with turns/handspring in a negative way and the boot spacers...

And when he moves up to his ninja/CBR 6 hell really need some help.. So are there any tricks you guys can lend to help him out?

5'7" here and have to tippy toe my 600. Most of the time I'll just flat foot one side (mostly left foot since I like to keep my right foot on the rear brake). You can lower the bike, but it will definitely affect handling negatively. My buddy has an 08 CBR600RR that was lowered 2". I can flat foot on both sides and feel really comfortable on it, but the bike does not want to lean. When I jump on my bike right after getting off his bike, mine feels very much alive. It could be due to his bike being a little older, but I'm assuming that the lowered center of gravity makes the bike feel like it doesn't want to turn/lean. That was my interpretation, now I'll shut up and hear what the experts have to say.

but I'm only 5'6" or there abouts & I just put one foot down at a stop & let the bike lean to the side my foot is down on (usually my right). I can easily hold the bike like that.

if your buddy tries that he shouldn't have much of a problem with a bit of practice & time to get used to it, maybe slide his a$$ across the seat a little so his foot is flatter (?). works for me so he could give it a go before lowering or anything else

Ahhhh.. In 125lbs with gear , 5'3" maybe and I can plant my left feet fine when at a stop light. He should just practice and ride more. You'll get the hang.

Only time when I need to feet down is to reverse walk the bike, but I don't do that. I just get off and push it

Same here, 5'3", a little under 150lbs without gear. I can just barely tip-toe both feet with an unmodified bike. I can get one foot flat sliding to the edge of the seat a little (not that much). Here are some things he can do:

- Stick a heel cup in a boot.
- Add a rubber heel on the outside of the boot (nothing extreme, just a little). Doing these first 2 things gives 1 flat foot without stretching.
- Get suspension set for his weight.
- Shave seat.
...
- Lower it.

Like Nuttynu said, get off to reverse it, it's faster and takes away the risk of a stupid drop. I can push mine backwards a little, just need to be sure of the terrain first.

The idea of having 2 feet flat is an idea taller riders seem to have and think is a necessity, but it isn't. Even on a lower bike I had (CB400), I almost never put 2 feet down. I like keeping my right foot on the peg to light up the brake if someone's approaching from behind. In any case, it's useful to be able do this starting on a hill. I can balance the bike no problem with 1 foot down and no hands sitting in neutral stopped at a light. Your buddy needs experience and confidence more than a mod to the bike, he'll get it in time.

Development for the CB/R500 started way before anything about the 300 came out. We didn't react to the 300. The 300 replaces the 250, our 500 is a step between a middleweight sportbike and the CBR250R.

Your buddy needs experience and confidence more than a mod to the bike, he'll get it in time.

Very true. I initially thought about lowering my bike because I couldn't plant both feet flat, but after a week of riding (and feeling how my buddy's bike is a little lazy to turn) changed everything. I would never lower my bike now.

Development for the CB/R500 started way before anything about the 300 came out. We didn't react to the 300. The 300 replaces the 250, our 500 is a step between a middleweight sportbike and the CBR250R.

The last article I read stated the 500 was Hondas direct response to the 300. And their mission to replace the 300 in the junior series and make the 500 the new race bike of choice.

The European Junior Cup is for young racers ages 14-19 and runs at select rounds of the World Superbike Championship. This season, the series used the KTM 690 Duke but when it was first introduced in 2011, the series used the Kawasaki Ninja 250. Ironically, it looks like the series will now use the CBR500 which would be Honda‘s response to the 250′s replacement, the Ninja 300.

Lowering his bike is doable. If he can also adjust his forks (slide them higher through the triple) then he may maintain the same geometry. The difference would be that he won't be able to get his bike leaned over as far for maximum lean before the pegs scrap. But you shouldn't be dragging begs on public roads anyways.

I'm a solid 5'6' 165 pudgy pounds (I'm going to shave a few pounds) and I tip toe around on my K5 gixxer but my 08 600rr feels a lot shorter and I feel a lot more comfortable sitting on the bike since I can put more foot on the ground.

Whenever I'm at a light I usually scoot my cheek over to the left side and plant my left foot flat while holding the rear brake with my right foot just like the others. On my gixxer I can make it so that neither of my feet touch the ground at a light if I just let them hang.

He can always shave the seat if he wants to... Hopefully he doesn't want an R6. lololol

Well, I'm assuming he is still new with his 300 since he just bought it? Only way is to keep riding and get comfortable with slightly tip-toeing. Either that, or like others have suggest to lean the bike to one side.

Any other suggestion I would give is start squatting at the gym, because they're going to help you with riding... A LOT.

The article is speculating. Trust me on this one. We wouldn't have built a naked bike, an adventure bike, and a sportbike all just to beat out the Ninja 300. It's a different approach and we felt supporting the 250 while making a cheap alternative to a 600cc was the best approach. We had photos of our 500's months before Kawasaki released any Ninja 300 stuff.

If you think we had only a couple of months to think "Hey, we should build a 500cc to up-stage Kawasaki's 300cc!" You're grossly underestimating how much manpower, hours, and development processes Honda takes when we make a new model. Work on the 500's started before 2011.

He needs to pick a bike that fits him the best. The 300's seat height is almost two inches lower than the CBR so if the 300 is too high for him he's looking at having to slam the CBR which will destroy the handling. I know the '06+ GSXR's seat height is 31.8 inches vs 32.8 for the RR. If he's not worried about people on this forum who never go to the track talking about a squid bike then he may want to look at of those.

He needs to pick a bike that fits him the best. The 300's seat height is almost two inches lower than the CBR so if the 300 is too high for him he's looking at having to slam the CBR which will destroy the handling. I know the '06+ GSXR's seat height is 31.8 inches vs 32.8 for the RR. If he's not worried about people on this forum who never go to the track talking about a squid bike then he may want to look at of those.

Yup, GSXR is a little more comfortable for a short rider. The new Kawi 636 felt better when I sat on it at the Milan Bike Show, but it seems to be listed as 1cm higher.

Im 5'5 and just learning how to ride, I got mine lowed about 1 1/2, I like it alot better I can concentrate more in traffic when coming to a light instead of worrying about slipping with the one foot thing. But its an adjustable link so I can go back up of if I want.

5 6 here... ive seen this topic quite a bit and really i dont think of it as a problem, just something you live with. i can flat foot one foot so i usually do that and it feels fine, the bike really isnt heavy. the only thing i have a problem with is backing up sometimes, cant get enough leverage on my feet so i just balance the bike on its kickstand and swing it around.

jeez i can remember a few years ago riding my cousins xr250 out in the woods by myself, i couldnt reach the ground unless my ass was all the way off the seat, and could only just barley get the thing to kick start leaned up against a tree. if theres the will to ride youll easly overcome these smalls things